CASA Seeks Volunteers for Training Program

Henrico Citizen Staff Reports

12/02/10

Henrico County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is seeking volunteers to serve as advocates for abused and neglected children in the court system.

Henrico CASA will conduct a free, six-week training program for volunteers from 6-9 p.m. each Tuesday and Wednesday beginning Tuesday, Jan. 11 at its office in the Hungary Spring Office Park, 3001 Hungary Spring Road, Suite A. Potential volunteers must apply for the program; applicants will undergo interviews, background and reference checks as well as fingerprinting and local criminal checks.

To apply or obtain additional information, contact Jeannine Panzera at 501-1673, email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or log on to http://www.henricocasa.org The d.eadline to apply is Monday, Jan. 3.
CASA volunteers serve as the voice of abused and neglected children in the court system. They come from a variety of educational and professional backgrounds; legal experience is not required. Participants receive training to conduct interviews, research and investigate cases, provide written reports for Juvenile Court judges and assist child welfare professionals and case attorneys.

Last year, volunteers served as advocates for 277 children, donating nearly 10,650 hours to their cases.

Henrico CASA is a private, nonprofit organization that works closely with the county's Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. For more information, log on to the CASA website.

The 10th Annual Filipino Festival will be held Aug. 7-8 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 8200 Woodman Rd., beginning with opening ceremonies at 5 p.m. Friday and continuing with live entertainment, food and exhibits until 10 p.m. On Saturday the festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with a full schedule of performances featuring traditional Filipino dance, music and song.

Filipino cuisine, including BBQ, pansit, lumpia, adobo, halo-halo, lechon, empanada and leche flan, will be available for purchase. The festival will also feature a children's area, church tours, exhibits, and health screenings. > Read more.

The Children’s Museum of Richmond last week opened its new Short Pump location at Short Pump Town Center, to the delight of children who attended a sneak preview of the location July 10. The new facility, located under the forthcoming LL Bean store (formerly the food court) is 8,500 square feet in size – much larger than CMoR’s former Short Pump location at West Broad Village, which opened in 2010. The new space includes The CarMax Foundation Service Station, the Silver Diner, a grocery store, a performance stage and an art studio, as well as a giant Light Bright Wall. > Read more.

The Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Henrico Police are both presenting community events tomorrow, Aug. 1. The Feria Community Resource Fair at Richmond International Raceway brings together community service providers, embassies/consulates from Latin American countries, government agencies, nonprofit organizations and corporations that impact the Latino community. The Division of Police’s Community Day will feature demonstrations and displays from police, fire, animal protection and sheriff’s office, as well as family activities, food, entertainment and more. Other events this weekend include wine, chess and theatre! For all our top picks this weekend, click here! > Read more.